BP Denied Access To White House Emails

BP, Europe's second-largest oil company, was denied access to emails by Carol Browner, a former Obama administration advisor, to the President regarding how the White House would address the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the largest oil spill in U.S. history. In a ruling today, U.S. Magistrate Sally Shushan said BP failed to show it needed access to the emails.

BP (BP) claimed it need access to the emails because the communications discuss the flow rate of oil leaked into the Gulf from the broken Macondo well and that data would help determine the British oil giant's financial liability for the spill.

BP's proposed search of White House emails would collect nearly everything that mentions BP or the blown-out well that triggered a deadly explosion on the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, the Associated Press reported, citing lawyer from the Justice Department. DOJ also called BP's request ''overly broad,'' according to the AP.

Browner is now employed by the Center for American Progress. BP declined to comment on today's ruling. The company was also denied access to other spill-related emails sent to the President by other members of the administration.